Cuomo '16 Already 'Morning Joe' Chatter [VIDEO]

Andrew Cuomo has been in office fewer than 100 days and the ink is still not dry on his first budget, but the political pundits are already discussing a possible 2016 presidential run in earnest.

On today’s Morning Joe, New York magazine writer Chris Smith, who wrote a big profile of Cuomo’s first 100 Days in the magazine this week, was asked what stands between Cuomo and the presidency.

His response: “Five years.”

He added, “As one of his friends said to me, it’s very hard in 2011 to run for President in 2016. He certainly has helped his chances through this process, but he owns this budget in a way that previous governors have not. And if there isn’t an economically recovery in the state…then it’s going to come back to bite him.”

After some of the panel wondered aloud how Cuomo can survive the impression that he has been soft on the banks, Smith said that the devil may be in the details of the budget.

“As the details emerge today and throughout the week, there are things like a tax break for Blackrock that could be an enormous giveaway that are going to chip away at his image if those things are still in there. He is counting on the economy improving and those things becoming less important.”